Messi could have, but he didn't. Several Spanish players will probably be considered after they reach the Final a few days ago. I meant they have the Euro 2008 Championship to add to their resume. Xavi is probably now top 10 ever in his position. The same applied to Casillas. He did not have a good tournament, but his past achievement and now a WC Final appearance would help his clause. He is probably in the top 10 ever, but he won't be the best ever Spanish keeper. David Villa is highly underrated. I don't know where I rank him, but he should be considered one of the best forwards of his generation. Sneijder and Robben need to do more in the next few years. This tournament certainly helped. The same applied to Lahm. Klose won't be an all-timer because he did not do well outside the WC finals, but he would be remembered as a WC legend, regardless of whether he will break Ronaldo's record or not. He would be another Rossi or Roger Milla. Donovan is now probably the best ever American player. Who else?
Actually, they would become all-time greats in their own countries. Forlan is probably a long way since there were plenty of all-timers from Uruguay. Blanco definitely ranked up there in Mexico.
I don't think Messi's status is hurt much. He was pretty well marked during this tournament, and for good reason. Nevertheless he put more shots on goal than anyone else. You need a little luck in this game, as well as a lot of skill. Players that really caught my eye, and I will be following from here onwards, are Luis Suárez, Mesut Özil, Keisuke Honda, Alexis Sánchez and Thomas Müller.
I don't say it hurts Messi's status. He would be mentioned alongside Zidane or Ronaldo(Brazil) if he wins the WC, but he has to wait for his place in history now. The rest of the young players you mentioned has a long way before they achieve all-timer status.
I wouldn't say Blanco did anything in this WC to achieve all time status. Perhaps what he did in qualifiers got him there for some or previous WC's but not this one. I think a lot depends on the final since a lot of the players that could be remembered for this WC are going to be playing in the final especially since they will be the first champions for their country.
- Landon Donovan (USA): Yes, I think after this World Cup he's already the best American footballer ever. - Xavi (SPA): I'm pretty sure he's already in the all-time best Spanish XI ever alongside Luis Suárez and Francisco Gento, over Josep Guardiola or Luis Enrique, in spite he wasn't the star of this tournament. - David Villa (SPA): I think he's commonly underrated about historical discussions, actually, I think it's enough to consider him the best Spanish striker ever alongside Telmo Zarra, over Emilio Butragueño or Raúl. - Diego Forlán (URU): Obviously it's difficult to him because Uruguay had legendary forwards, but I think he's already at that level, still down of Juan Alberto Schiaffino or Héctor Scarone, but at very similar status of Pedro Petrone, Atilio García or Fernando Morena. Apart of those 4, I think they're players who are near to be in that status but probably need a little more due to the competence in their positions or longevity in their own countries, but surely are going to appear in the lists of best players: Mark van Bommel, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben (Netherlands) (waiting for the final), Íker Casillas, Carles Puyol and Andrés Iniesta (Spain) (also waiting for the final), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Lúcio, Maicon and Gilberto Silva (Brazil). I'm not sure about Diego Lugano (Uruguay) and Dennis Rommedahl (Denmark), and a special case is Miroslav Klose (Germany), already a World Cup legend.
Schweinsteiger moved from talent status to established world class with this tournament. A bit early to call him an all-timer, maybe, but he's getting close, he actually did more than Lahm imo.
I was impressed by Maicon. He should be ranked as high as Cafu. And if cafu is considered an all-time great, then, he must be one too.
This list needs to be more exclusive, otherwise it's worthless. To be an "all-timer" I think you have to have more than one good World Cup. A lot of these guys will not be talked about in 20 years. The only one that hits the standard for me is Klose. Possibly Puyol. These guys have done it for years, and have again excelled on the highest stage. Others like Villa, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Tevez, Maicon, Sneijder, Kuyt, Robben, Schweinsteiger and a few others will have to produce another performance like this in 4 years to be considered as an "all-timer".
I agree. Klose will be an all-timer because of his goal scoring prowess. This WC did not produce an all-timer IMO. I'd say "breakout performance" will be more appropriate
If Villa manages to beat Raul's record (he'll do it eventually) on Sunday along with winning the World Cup, I think he'll be considered Spain's greatest striker.
How many players that weren't already candidates for top 100 ever players became so during the World Cup? None. Anyone making a claim for Xavi or Iniesta would already have done so - they haven't harmed their reputations but not enhanced them. Same with Villa largely. Which country has a squad which would contain the most players in their all-time World Cup Squad (on all performances, not just in World Cups)? Spain (certainly from the top-performing nations). Of the Spanish squad Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, Torres, Pique, Casillas and maybe others would probably be in their all-time squad. As a whole it is their best squad ever probably, though largely it was the same squad, probably playing slightly better, that won Euro '08. I think only Villa's performances might have put him in the all-time squad though like the others he'd have a claim to be in on his recent club form and Euro '08. The likes of Muller, Schweinsteiger and Ozil for Germany found their best form but wouldn't be all-time Germany squad members I feel. So I would say in answer to the original question, nobody. But which team will be confirmed as their nations all-time best as a collection of players - the Spanish (the Dutch can't really achieve this even by winning the Final and upping their performance to do so I feel - though of course they will be their first team to win the World Cup if they do, as will the Spaniards).
I think the World Cup doesn't have the power to make legends that it once did. The only game I've seen, and I watched almost all of them, that came up to a late stage CL level was Spain vs Germany. I think these days legends are made in the CL and not the WC.
I remember months before the cup saying that Villa would be considered a Spanish legend higher than Raul. People bombarded me saying that Raul had one all these CL's and whatever and apparenty they couldn''t tell the difference between Real Madrid legend and a Spain legend. At this point Villa has comfortably passed Raul and others as a Spain legend and if he wins tomorrow I don't see how there can be any doubt that he'll go down as Spain's best striker of all time.
I think Casillas, regardless of who wins tomorrow, would be the only one. But he already is an all-time great in Spain. Second best ever after Zamora in his position. If he wins and lifts the cup though, he will be sitting next to Zoff in the proverbial hall of legends. About Landon Donovan: I firmly believe he already was the U.S.' greatest ever prior to the 2010 world cup.
Messi is already an all-timer no matter what he did/didn't in this WC. Casillas/Xavi/Puyol/(maybe) Maicon among their position. Sneijder/Villa among their position/overall - final matters here.
After watching this World Cup I am certainly hopeful we will land the 2022 World Cup by that World Cup we will probably be seeing playing in his fourth and possibly last World Cup one of the greatest players of all time in Thomas Mueller. If he has natural improvemnet I can see him being significantly better than Zindane(and he probably will not be the disgrace Zindane became in his last game) and being talked about possibly in the same manner as Pele and Maradonna. Granted I did not get to see Pele play in his prime and only saw Maradona in some of the World Cup games but in the World Cups since 1990 Mueller is the most exciting young player I have seen and from what the record books say he is the most exciting young player to come on the World Cup scence since Pele
Since its his last International Tournament with the Spanish team id say Puyol, he won everything with barca ( in 09 with 6 titles ) and now euro 08 and WC 2010 with spain , he achieved everything now
Pretty much all the established Barca players on the Spain side (Xavi, Puyol, Iniesta etc.), mainly due to their massive trophy cabinets. Definitely Casillas as well, and perhaps Villa. Forlan will get wider recognition in the future, having won the Golden Ball, but I don't really see anyone else from the tournament as having firmly established all-time status, even Sneijder.
Villa, Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas, Forlan, Suarez, Sneijder were already established players but they have cemented their status through this WC. Sweinsteiger, Ozil, Muller, Neuer rose to superstar level. All Germans! From lesser known Asian side, Park Jisung played as the captain and playmaker for Korea. He played superbly making lazer perfect through passes and making one clinical goal. Park Chuyoung also played great earning better reputation. Honda from Japan also is praised by many.